J Rheumatol
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To assess the quality of nonpharmacological care received by people with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis (OA) in the community and to assess the associated factors. ⋯ The quality of nonpharmacological care for people with knee/hip OA in the community is suboptimal. Advice on exercise and weight management may not be provided equally across sex, age, disability, and formal education levels.
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Multicenter Study
Pulmonary Hypertension Assessment and Recognition of Outcomes in Scleroderma (PHAROS): baseline characteristics and description of study population.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) increases mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The multicenter PHAROS registry (Pulmonary Hypertension Assessment and Recognition of Outcomes in Scleroderma) prospectively follows subjects with SSc at high risk for or with incident pulmonary hypertension (PH). We describe the registry design and baseline characteristics of subjects enrolled during the first 18 months since the start of the study. ⋯ PHAROS is the largest US and Canadian cohort of subjects with SSc at high risk for or with incident PAH. PAH-specific therapies are approved for 49/71 subjects with RHC-confirmed PAH. Analyses of PHAROS registry data will permit identification of risk factors for development of PAH among SSc patients at high risk for PAH and enhance understanding of the course of SSc-PAH.
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To describe the diagnosis status and outcome of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM) by US rheumatologists. ⋯ Although we found no average clinically meaningful improvement in symptom severity overall, 25% had at least moderate improvement of pain over time. The result that emerged from this longitudinal study was one of generally continuing high levels of self-reported symptoms and distress for most patients, but a slight trend toward improvement.
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To assess the incidence and relative risk of new tuberculosis (TB) infections in Korean patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and patients with AS who are undergoing treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. ⋯ The risk of TB was higher in the TNF blocker-naive AS cohort than it was in the general population. However, the risk of TB was not increased in the TNF blocker-exposed AS cohort compared with the TNF blocker-naive AS cohort. Among patients with AS, etanercept is associated with a lower risk of TB compared with monoclonal antibodies.
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To evaluate the clinical benefits of the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan on interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who are ineligible for cyclophosphamide (CYC) therapy. ⋯ The gradual worsening of pulmonary function and HRCT findings in patients treated with bosentan was consistent with the natural course of SSc-associated ILD. This study does not support the use of bosentan for SSc-associated ILD even when CYC treatment is inadvisable.